The year's best new skyscraper is located in China for the second year in a row

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Hamburg, nov. 01, 2016 -
The 632-meter tall Shanghai Tower was chosen as the winner for several reasons, including it's elegant spiraling cylindrical shape which was designed by Gensler Architects. It also impressed the jury with its extraordinary energy efficiency. The double skin facade of the tower is reminiscent of a thermos bottle. Moreover Shanghai Tower is the home of the world's fastest elevator, which can transport people at a speed of 20 meters per second to the viewing platform of 561 meters height.
Second place in the voting went to the Evolution Tower in Moscow. It was recognized by the award jury for its expressive design. Each floor twists three degrees in relation to one below it. The tower has a rotation from the base to the top by more than 150 degrees. The extravagant design is inspired by St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow and Tatlin’s tower.

The third-placed building is Il Dritto (The Straight One) in Milan. It is a collaboration between Japanese architect Arata Isozaki and Italian architect Andrea Maffei. The 210-meter tall tower is also known as Allianz Tower: the german financial services giant Allianz is the owner. The design of the facade is inspired by Constantin Brâncuși´s sculpture “Endless Column”. Besides it`s shape the expert jury praises the facade which is slightly curved to outside. One member of the jury said: “Il Dritto is a major new architectural landmark for Milan and modern Europe.”

In 2015, the Top 10 shows a great deal of regional diversity, they were occupied by nominees from all over the world: from Melbourne, to Moscow, to New York. The USA, known as the cradle of high-rise architecture, does not feature in the Top 5 this year.